One of the IT Crowd

"I'D say my fanbase is mostly drunk," says Chris O'Dowd, as the humble star of Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd laughingly describes meeting one such member of his adoring public.

"I was in some shop recently and a guy was circling," he remembers. "He came over and said, 'You're that fella from TV. You're on that comedy programme?', I said yes, and he replied, 'You're the little one from Little Britain!'"

"I'D say my fanbase is mostly drunk," says Chris O'Dowd, as the humble star of Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd laughingly describes meeting one such member of his adoring public.

"I was in some shop recently and a guy was circling," he remembers. "He came over and said, 'You're that fella from TV. You're on that comedy programme?', I said yes, and he replied, 'You're the little one from Little Britain!'"

The lanky actor smiles, but sounds baffled. "I'm not on the radio! How could I be the little fat guy from Little Britain? I mean, you're looking at me. It was extraordinary."

Funny, engaging and down-to-earth, the more Chris talks about his real life, the more you begin to suspect that he is not all that far removed from his shambolic onscreen alter ego, computer technician Roy. He and his fellow nerds are returning for a second series of The IT Crowd (Channel 4, 9.30pm)
and Chris admits he can't wait.

However, as a seasoned dramatic actor in serious shows like Ireland's The Clinic and The Year London Blew Up: 1974, Chris was hoping that Roy would have a little more depth this year.

"I wanted him to have some kind of heart condition," he explains.

"And to have a very sick granny. I feel like I didn't shed enough tears last year."

During the hiatus between series the show has made the trip across the Atlantic, being turned into a series on NBC. Co-star Richard Ayoade will reprise his role as mega-geek Moss, but Chris is not involved.

"They asked me to do it as well, but unfortunately they shot the pilot in February and I was doing something else. I'm dying to see it, I think it's going to be great. They're using exactly the same scripts, so it would be like doing the same job with an American accent."

That's ironic, considering he almost lost the job thanks to his Irish brogue.

British guy

"The character was written as a British guy," Chris explains. "It took a little bit of convincing to make him Irish. But we never wanted to mention it."

Chris will be dabbling with different accents again later this year in the movie Hippie Hippie Shake. Set in the late Sixties and telling the story of the controversial Oz magazine, he's playing then-writer, now-publishing magnate Felix Dennis, alongside Cillian Murphy and a certain It girl.

"Sienna Miller is in it," he gushes, though he's quick to point out that he is happily ensconced with a girlfriend. "I had to go for a wig fitting and it was going to be the first time I met her. I obviously wanted to make a good impression.

"When they're fitting you for a wig, they cover your head in clingfilm and she walked in when they had just done it. So my first line to her was: 'I don't generally look like a condom'. I hope she can see past that."

His presence in a big British film alongside Ms Miller, as well as a Scottish BAFTA for his performance in 2005's Festival and another movie, Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel due later this year, prove that the actor has a healthy future. He's even beginning to get the girl.

"I get to kiss Anna Faris from Scary Movie in Time Travel, so that's quite fun," he reveals.

That ladykiller side will remain hidden for just a little longer when The IT Crowd returns.

And are the gang going to tie up those cliffhangers from the end of the last series?

"It would actually help if you haven't seen the last one!" he laughs. "I think that's the way to look at it. We made a decision when we were doing the first couple of new episodes that we weren't in any way going to bother following up the To Be Continued strand. Just because we couldn't be bothered."

For all the latest news from the world of television, check out Ian Wylie's blog, The Life ofWylie.

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